Pioneer LX81 V Yamaha Z7

[admin_exported]

I am still undecided which amp to go for

What are the views of members between the 2 amps in the subject text?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

lesmor:

I am still undecided which amp to go for

What are the views of members between the 2 amps in the subject text?

Hi Lesmor

The DSP-Z7. Imo it's the finest vfm AV amplifier (even at RRP £1960.00) currently available on the market.

http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Yamaha-DSP-Z7/

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I had both on my short list but opted for the Z7. Combination of performance, looks and connections / features (Z7 seemed allot stronger here). I heard both in demo's and the Z7 sounded better, seemed better with music as well to my ear. Picked it up for £1650 new and very happy. For me, the Pioneer was about sheer power and would be a bit harsh listening to for long periods. The Z7 does not lack power (i haven't needed to go about 1/3 of the volume!) but handles all content well. What speakers are you pairing it with?

 

[TKratz]

I can only agree with what has already been said. Z7 is the superior amp although speaker parring is of highest importance. Some speakers might go better with the Pioneer LX81 than the Yamaha.

I tested Pioneer LX71 vs Yamaha Z7 on KEF iQ50 speakers. I know it is not the same receiver (LX81 wasn't available unfortunately) but from what I have read many places the difference between these two receivers shouldn't be too large. On KEF speakers Z7 were miles ahead! With the Pioneer I thought badly of the speakers. They weren't an exciting listen, sounded flat and without weight. With the Yamaha they were like transformed! They suddenly sounded much better with more punchy bass and more clear definition overall.

 

[Anonymous]

I have just taken delivery of an LX81 and its a great amp & tbh you wont go far wrong with it. I was swayed by the whsv reviews and the fact that I wanted an amp to match with my pioneer Tv and blu-ray player and I liked the thought of "one remote to control em all"

I haven't heard the yamaha but if you can justify the extra money it sounds like a great amp and well worth the extra outlay.

 

[Frank Harvey]

lesmor: I am still undecided which amp to go for

What are the views of members between the 2 amps in the subject text?Best thing to do is get a listen if you can. Both are excellent amplifiers, and yes, the Yamaha is pretty hard to beat. The Pioneer does have a thinner sound than the Yamaha, but the mention in this thread of it sounding bright or harsh is probably a little overstated. We used to have ours in our main AV room, which is quite a reflective room at the moment, so tends to show up brighter equipment. The Pioneer has a great feature caled 'X-Curve', which allows you to tail off the HF response in 1dB steps, making the overall sound smother - which we found a very useful feature.

The Pioneer is more suitable to speaker packages that have similarly sized speakers, as it only has a single crossover point - not a good thing if you have big floorstanders with small rear speakers or centre. Obviously this is a beter choice for those with THX requirements.

 

[Anonymous]

I hear there is a LX82 coming out soon, I think im going to hold off for that, any one know if Yamaha are changing their model too?

Mark

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

No change for the Z7 this year to the best of my knowledge. The LX82 is meant to arrive mid September but that is not a confirmed date.

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks to all respondents i have finally purchased a Z7

your comments are very much appreciated

Regards

Andy

 

[Sonic Dreamer]

lesmor:

Many thanks to all respondents i have finally purchased a Z7

your comments are very much appreciated

Regards

Andy

You made a good choice Andy and I made the same one after a protracted investigation. It depends on sonic listening preferences. For me the decision was based on how music and singing sounded, in relation to music DVD/blue-ray. On the LX-81 the musical sound was bright and thin, which some people admittedly like. Particularly weak on the LX-81 was the vocals with music DVD/blue-ray discs, to an alarming extent it has to be said. Also if one intends to listen to CDs on a player connected to an AV amp, then the Z7 is streets ahead in depth of sound.

SD

 

[MUSICRAFT]

lesmor:

Many thanks to all respondents i have finally purchased a Z7

your comments are very much appreciated

Regards

Andy

Hi Andy

Good one. I hope you will enjoy the DSP-Z7 for many years to come.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again

Next decision is a speaker package upgrade to match Z7

Considering B&W 685, B&W HTM62 centre, B&W DS3 rears , or maybe the CM range , I have just recently bought a PV1

PMC TB2i front and rear ,CB6i Centre

Waiting for M&K review of their new package, not sure up the P1 would match PMC and M&K though

This will be subject of a new thread when I am ready to purchase

Regards

Andy

 

[Clare Newsome]

Andy, as a happy Z7 user i'd urge you to scrimp/save etc for best speakers you can to go with it - it can (and does) drive a great class of speaker very well.... Yes, the B&W 685 theatre is a great package,but you could get best out of it from a lesser amp - think big (but keep the PV1) !

 

[Boca]

Clare, What speakers do you recommend with the Z7?

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

I can vouch for the PMCs with the Z7 as we have supplied many set ups with that configuration. They will be very different to your Infinitiy's . Not too sure about the PV1 with the M&Ks , I am not convinced it will perform well enough at the higher frequencies to make a perfect match with the speakers. If MK is the route you go down you wont have any bother moving on the PV1.

 

[Frank Harvey]

lesmor: Next decision is a speaker package upgrade to match Z7

Considering B&W 685, B&W HTM62 centre, B&W DS3 rears , or maybe the CM range , I have just recently bought a PV1

PMC TB2i front and rear ,CB6i Centre

Waiting for M&K review of their new package, not sure up the P1 would match PMC and M&K thoughYou have a choice of three types of packages. One is the 'lifestyle' sub/sat type package, which takes into account looks, the 'hi-fi' speaker package, which is the best choice if music is a major factor, and then there's the pure movie option: the M&K's. The most pleasing sound will be the hi-fi package, the most convenient would be the lifestyle package, but none of them can match the sheer detail and punch available from the M&K's, which are designed to reproduce movie soundtracks first and foremost. I'll leave a detailed response for your dedicated thread.

Grab yourself a demo, as the differences are easily demonstrated